


I Will Follow You Into The Dark

by alltheglowingeyes



Series: PJO/HoO/ToA One Shots [19]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Fix-It, Gen, Half-shadow! Nico AU, M/M, Resurrection, Temporary Character Death, sequel to that fic where i killed will lol, sorry abt that, take this as my apology pls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:54:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26550217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alltheglowingeyes/pseuds/alltheglowingeyes
Summary: Nico takes a trip to the Underworld to fix a serious wrong.(Sequel to Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away).
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Series: PJO/HoO/ToA One Shots [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1861492
Comments: 8
Kudos: 67





	I Will Follow You Into The Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a request from anon user Jinx:  
> "Can you do something where you bring him (Will) back?"
> 
> This is a sort of fix-it sequel to one of my previous one-shots, "Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away". If you haven't read it, it might help to read it first, but you can also probably ready in as a stand-alone one-shot! Thank you for the request, and I hope this makes up for the potential tears that might have been shed over the other fics plot riP.
> 
> This story is also posted on fanfiction.net under the same username.
> 
> Enjoy! :)
> 
> \- alltheglowingeyes

Four months, eleven days, and six hours had gone by since Will Solace died, and Nico di Angelo was not okay.

It wasn’t just Nico, however, but the entirety of Camp. With Will Solace gone, it was like the warmth of Camp had been taken away. Among the year-rounders, everyone struggled to cope with what happened, each camper taking the blame upon themselves.

Kayla spent the days after Will’s death just shooting rounds over and over at the archery range until Miranda and Sherman had to pull her away screaming incoherently, pained over the loss of yet another brother. Austin had been forced to mature quickly in the time after Will’s death, his saxophone and music dreams long forgotten as he took the responsibilities of all Apollo siblings on his shoulders. Cecil, to a stranger, looked to be coping normally, but Nico saw the way the son of Hermes had slowly become withdrawn, an empty and tired look replacing the normal mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

Nico had no idea about Lou Ellen’s reaction to what happened. He had managed to pull himself together long enough to IM her after he called Naomi Solace ( _ he could never forget the look on Will’s mother’s face when she realized her baby boy wasn’t coming home for another Thanksgiving _ ), but the call was cut short when Lou Ellen hung up on him after he told her what happened.

One of the worst reactions he had seen was Harley. The eight-year-old clearly blamed himself for what happened to Will, despite insistence from all campers that it wasn’t so. He saw the boy become more morose and subdued, fearing that Harley was going down the same path that he had after Bianca’s death.

Camp wasn’t running right after Will died. After months of mourning, the son of Hades slipped away in the night, determined to set things right for everyone. He knew the costs of what he planned to do and fully accepted them. His reasons were slightly selfish, but it was also for the greater good of Camp Half-Blood.

And that was why Nico di Angelo was kneeling at his father and stepmother’s thrones, hands shaking as he prepared for what would be one of the greatest challenges of his life.

“Rise, son,” Hades mumbled absentmindedly as he glossed over some papers that Thanatos was holding out next to him. Nico stood quietly, patiently waiting for his father to finish up what he was doing. Next to him, Persephone looked extremely bored, entangling small daisies into her long, dark brown braid.

Silence settled over the throne room, save Hades mumbling to himself as he flipped through the papers. 

When Nico didn’t say anything, Hades raised an eyebrow at him. “Well? You aren’t one to come here without reason. What is it?”

Nico hesitated, eyeing Thanatos on his father’s right warily. “It’s… important. But I would like to speak to you alone, if that is possible.”

Hades stared at Nico, scrutinizing the boy with his cold, black eyes. Nico did his best to project confidence under his hard gaze. 

After a few more seconds of scrutiny, Hades waved his hand at Thanatos, who nodded to Nico before disappearing into the shadows.

When Nico looked back at his father, the Lord of the Dead still had his gaze on Nico. “Well?”

Nico swallowed. He would have preferred if Persephone had left too, seeing as she would probably rally against Nico just for the sake of conflict. But he also knew he was pushing his luck.

Taking a deep breath, he said, “Father. I am here to ask of you to let me return a soul to the mortal world. I am willing to do whatever task you require of me in exchange.”

Hades stared at Nico once again, his expression unreadable. Before he could say anything however, Persephone spoke up, looking interested in the conversation.

“Are you referring to the son of Apollo? What was his name, ah… Walt. No, Will… Sander? Solstice? Smith?”

Nico was a little taken aback, but answered nonetheless. “Will Solace, yes. How did you-”

Persephone snorted, tossing her braid behind her back as she sat up straight. “Don’t even finish that idiotic question. I am the queen of the Underworld, so I have a good sense of people who have passed on. And of course I kept tabs on your lover.” She sighed, smiling slightly. “Quite a pity that he died so young. So much talent and a good heart. You could’ve picked up a thing or two from him.”

Nico scowled, but bit back any scathing retorts. Persephone liked Will; if he played his cards right, he could get her aid in persuading his father to let him take Will back.

Speaking of Hades, the god seemed to have put together the pieces, frowning at Nico. “Son, I understand this…  _ sunspawn _ was important to you, but you must understand that I cannot allow the dead to walk freely whenever someone asks.”

Nico nodded slowly. “Of course, father. I have the highest respect for your domain, and I do understand what the laws are. But there must be something,  _ anything _ , I could do to bring him back.”

Hades sighed, looking a little bored. “Why do you need this one? Apollo has many children like the boy. You could find a carbon-copy at that silly Camp of yours.”

Nico felt a flash of anger, and before he could stop himself, he lashed out. “Because Will was- is different! He’s  _ not _ just a carbon-copy Apollo kid, and he certainly can’t be replaced by anyone. He is smart and talented as Persephone said and selfless; so much to the point that it cost him his life. You can’t seriously think that I could replace him just like that!”

Silence. Nico felt his heart-thumping in his chest as he realized  _ I just yelled at my immortal, short tempered father for the second time in my life; my gods, I’m going to die _ . The look in Hades' eyes matched Nico’s internal monologue. However, before he could be sent to join Will in Elysium, Persephone cut in.

“You really loved the boy, didn’t you?”

Nico blinked, surprised to see the normal annoyed hatred in Persephone’s eyes replaced by a softer light. Next to her, Hades’ rolled his eyes, anger seeming to be temporarily forgotten. “My love, while I appreciate your help in important decisions like this, you cannot let these petty mortal romances sway your decisions.”

Persephone frowned, raising an eyebrow at her husband. “While I don’t like the boy, you must admit that the courage he has to defend his lover is respectable. Perhaps you could pick up on some of that loyalty,” she sniffed, turning away.

Hades sighed, turning to Nico with an exasperated look on his face. “Zeus will be on my back about this for millenia to come,” he grumbled.

Nico took the opportunity to change his tactics, “As expected. But you’re one of the eldest and most powerful gods; certainly more than Lord Zeus. You wouldn’t let his rules and potential, ah, temper-tantrum dictate your decision, would you?”

Hades mulled it over as Nico resisted the urge to just find Will and take his chances. To his relief, his father slowly nodded. “You make a valid point.” He shot Nico a stern look, “There are consequences to what you are asking. Are you willing to accept them?”

Nico didn’t even hesitate. “Anything.”

Hades’ eyes bore into Nico. The demigod didn’t back down, staring back unflinchingly. Finally, he nodded, flicking his wrist.

Nico felt a cold presence grow behind him, turning around. A clump of shadows appeared, swirling aggressively with occasional tendrils of darkness flickering out. Nico turned back to his father for an explanation.

“If you want the son of Apollo, you will need to go in and get him. If you aren’t careful, however, the shadows will tear you apart.” His father knit his brows, something akin to concern in his eyes. “It’s not too late to back down, son. Go back to your Camp. You can come see him when you want in Elysium.”

Nico clenched his jaw, his resolve solidifying as he turned to the whirlwind of shadows. Taking a deep breath, he plunged in before he could think twice.

In the first few seconds, Nico didn’t understand what was so bad about this. It was cold and dark, but nothing different from his experiences shadow-traveling. Then, all of it hit him. The cold became unbearable, to the point that it burned away at his flesh. The shadows attacked and lashed out at him, and NIco wouldn’t have been surprised if he was being ripped apart limb by limb. He tried to scream, but his voice was drowned in the emptiness surrounding him as he felt the loneliness and darkness sinking into his bones. He was so tempted to just  _ give up _ .

Then, he remembered why he was doing this, focusing on a single name:  _ Will _ . He forced himself to push through the burning sensation and lethargy, taking weighted steps forward into the shadows. It felt like he was trekking for hours and his legs were ready to just give out beneath him when he saw a flicker of light in front of him. He forced himself to concentrate on the light and felt his heart soar.

In front of him was a spirit that was unmistakably Will. The son of Apollo looked frozen, eyes glazed over and his head facing straight ahead. But between the myriad of distinct freckles across his face and his head of curly hair, it was clearly his Will.

Nico took a final step forward, gritting his teeth at the burning pain across his entire skin as he reached his hand out to Will. The moment he made contact with the son of Apollo, he felt a warmth spread from the other boy and took him over as a light blinded his view.

For a few seconds, he didn’t feel anything. Everything was drowned out by the said blinding light. When his vision came back, he realized he was on his knees, collapsed on the floor. He felt a hand on his arm and saw a figure next to him, quickly pulling away and falling backwards.

He vaguely registered that he was somehow back in the Hades Cabin of Camp Half-Blood, his back resting on his bed frame. Nico figured his father must have sent him back, but he still didn’t understand what happened.

“D-death Boy?” a familiar voice said next to him. He felt a lump form in his throat as he saw who the figure was, staring in shock.

“Hi, Sunshine,” he whispered, his eyes locking onto Will’s own sky blue ones. Will’s expression held the same amount of confusion and shock. Nico snapped out of his initial surprise, lunging forward and pulling Will into a tight hug.

“You  _ fucking idiot _ ! Why did you have to do that? I’m so… everyone missed you so much. Kayla’s been inconsolable and Cecil just shut down. Austin has been so high-strung and-” his voice broke as he buried his face into Will’s shoulder, taking in the older boy’s presence as if any minute he would lose him once more. 

When Will didn’t say anything, Nico pulled away, registering the slightly alarmed look on Will’s face. He frowned, about to ask what was wrong when Will spoke up.

“What did you do, Death Boy?” the son of Apollo whispered, his voice slightly hoarse as he reached a hand out to touch Nico’s face. Nico’s frown deepened, tilting his head to the side in confusion. Will’s eyes shifted quickly to the mirror near Hazel's side of the cabin. Nico took the hint, shakily standing up and moving to the mirror. He noticed Will trailing behind him, his expression unreadable. When the two boys stopped in front of the mirror, Nico felt his heart drop.

Maybe at a first quick glance he looked normal, but looking more carefully at his reflection, he saw that the entire left side of his body was periodically patterned with a glassy shadowy look. It was much like what happened when he started fading during his shadow-traveling experience of the Athena Parthenos, but on a more dramatic scale. When he touched the shadow parts of his face with his corporeal hand, it didn’t necessarily pass through, but it was searingly cold to the touch. He felt his eyes prickle slightly as he stared longer at himself.

“ _ Shit _ …” he murmured, pressing more desperately at his skin, hoping this was going to fade away. After a minute passed and nothing changed, Nico felt his breathing hitch.

Will, who was watching him in the background, stepped forward and pulled Nico into a fierce hug. “Di Angelo… what happened? Please, tell me.”

Nico made a few failed attempts at taking deep breaths before explaining what had happened. Will listened patiently, pursing his lips as he brushed away a few stray tears falling from Nico’s eyes. When Nico finished recounting what happened, he felt an empty numbness overtaking his entire being, and for a second he wondered if he was completely a shadow now. Then, Will grabbed Nico’s hand, both his corporeal and shadowy one. The warmth was grounding, keeping Nico focused on the boy in front of him.

Will’s gaze was slightly stormy as he spoke. “You could’ve died, Nico. The shadows… I don’t know exactly what they did to you, but I can feel so much darkness inside of you right now. Why did you- why would you do this?”

Nico grit his teeth, squeezing Will’s hands tightly. “I  _ tried _ , Will. I tried to move on, and so did everyone else. But you… you touched so many people in this Camp. It’s been a few months, and no one has been ok. I couldn’t keep going like this, and I don’t think anyone else could have either.” He sniffled slightly, lowering his gaze. He knew what he did might have not been right, remembering Bianca’s insistence that the dead should remain dead. “I’m sorry. Are you- do you hate me?”

Will immediately shook his head, kissing Nico’s nose softly. “I- I don’t know how I feel about what happened. I don’t understand why I deserve such a chance compared to so many other heroes, but I would never hate you, not after the lengths you went for me.” His eyes rested on the left side of Nico’s face. Nico flinched under his boyfriend’s gaze, but relaxed as Will gave him a gentle smile. “We can go to the infirmary. Maybe you just need some unicorn draught and rest. I can try some other hymns, too. Does it hurt or something? I could-”

“Sunshine,” Nico interrupted softly as he remembered what his father said about the consequences of his choice. “I- I’ve got a feeling this won’t be healed that easily. But it doesn’t hurt, so we can wait. I think your siblings and the others will have my head if we don’t go to them immediately.”

Will’s eyes lit up, a smile growing on his face. “I’ve missed them… how many arrows do you think Kayla will stick in my ears for what happened?”

Nico snorted, “She can do whatever she wants, so long as she doesn’t kill you again. I don’t think my father will let me pull this again.”

Will laughed lightly before grabbing Nico’s shadowy hand in his own. The warmth felt nice against his cool, numb skin. As the two walked out of the Hades Cabin to meet the rest of the Camp, Nico held on tightly, intending to never let his sunshine go again.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this fic. I'm NGL, this accidentally turned into a Half-Shadow! Nico AU towards the end. I've been seeing the headcanon a lot recently, and I really find it fascinating so I decided to incorporate it because I couldn't figure how I wanted Nico to bring Will back (I didn't want Hades to just let him take him; I feel like that would be really unrealistic).
> 
> Not too sure about the ending and the method that Nico had to use to bring Will back, so LMK what you would have said. I would love to read any other ideas for how Nico could have gone about bringing Will back!
> 
> Leave any headcanons/requests, if you want! I will get to them ASAP. :D
> 
> You can follow me on my tumblr @alltheglowingeyess for updates on multichapter fics/a compiled list of my one-shots/random Riordanverse shit, or to just say hi. :)


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